Dallas-area commuters mostly unfazed by fourth deadly incident since November at DART stations

DART passengers expressed some fear but mostly shrugged off serious safety concerns Wednesday morning, a day after a bystander was shot and killed in a running shootout at a Richardson station.

The death of Eric Thomas Johnson and the still unidentified gunman was the fourth violent incident in four months at or near a Dallas Area Rapid Transit station. A DART police officer and a second bystander were also wounded Tuesday afternoon.

Even so, most passengers said such violence could happen anywhere, and they had no plans to change their routine and stop riding Dallas’ rail and bus lines.

“It’s the only way I get to work,” said James Walker, a 32-year-old map maker. “There’s crazy people out there … and crazy people do crazy things.”

Walker, who is a frequent DART rider, was at the Arapaho Station, where the shooting occurred. Other passengers there felt the same.

“Shootings get attention,” said Alvaro Ramos, a 43-year-old DISD teacher from Richardson. “I didn’t hear too much about it, but I don’t feel unsafe.”

Photo by Brad Loper/The Dallas Morning News

Passengers at other DART stations expressed similar sentiments.

“There’s violence all around you,” said Crystal Smith, a 30-year-old legal assistant from Allen. “I can’t just hide in my closet.”

Smith, who stopped at the downtown Union Station on Wednesday morning, said she feels safe and often sees a police presence at the stations.

“I usually stand pretty close to them [police],” she said. “I mean, I’m a woman riding a train by myself.”

Paul Browning, a 27-year-old student at El Centro College, only became concerned after a DART officer at Pearl Station informed him that Tuesday’s shooting was just the latest in a series.

“I heard about it but didn’t take it seriously until I heard it had been three to four times recently,” he said.

Browning, who has no car, said he has no choice but to continue riding the train.